Tag: Steelers

First, can you let readers know what you’ve been doing with yourself these days!

Well, now that I’m retired I spend a lot of my time on the golf course. I do that about two to three days a week. I also like to garden and anything else that keeps me occupied.

After you retired from the NFL, you joined the US Marshals Service and were one of the original agents for the United States Federal Witness Protection Program. How did that come about?

I was a US Marshal for twenty years. I had to retire at an early age – you had to because it was hazardous duty so you have to retire at 55. I thought I’d never take another job after that, but after six or seven months at home I took a job with the state as a property evaluation officer.

At the time you either had to go to college or have police work in your background to get a Marshal job. But my father-in-law was big in politics and had a friend who was a U.S. Marshal. They had a vacancy, so my father-in-law went to talk to the Washington representative to get me in. There were two other applicants but you couldn’t be over 40 years old and that made both of those applicants ineligible. I got the job and was happy to have it!

Continue reading “Steve Meilinger, Steelers Tight End, 1961”

First, can you let readers know what you’ve been doing since you’ve retired from the NFL and how you got started in these new ventures?

After returning home to California the cost of gasoline was nearly five dollars a gallon and the spotlight was on our foreign oil dependency. I immediately sold my SUV and decided I was going to focus my life and life’s work on being more sustainable. Since that decision I have had the opportunity to work on numerous electric vehicle ventures. I co-founded an electric bike and scooter business, led design efforts for an electric bike share system, and managed multiple shared electric car projects. My goal is to help as many people move cleaner and greener as possible.

Continue reading “Dedrick Roper, Steelers Linebacker, 2005”

Kevin Greene:

Jim Miller: “We had Kevin Greene and Greg Lloyd as outside linebackers on that team. I always felt like games were easier than practice after having to block those two guys all week.”

Brentson Buckner: “I was playing next to a future Hall of Famer in Kevin Greene. I just needed to go in a become a piece of the puzzle.”

Continue reading “Steelers Players Quotes from PSDB Interviews on New HOF’ers Kevin Greene and Tony Dungy”

First, can you let readers know how you got into your “second career” after the NFL?

Well, I don’t know if it was my second career. I enjoyed what I was doing – I was going to school at night in the offseason and worked during the day. All the jobs I had I enjoyed. I was en electrical engineer and developed products for radio stations. I owned and operated radio stations and used the products to make them sound better for stations around the world.

I’m out of that now. When I was fired for the last time from the NFL things didn’t change much. Except now I had my Falls free. I continued working..

I’m now involved in the Football Players Health Study at Harvard University. We are independent, though funded by the NFLP. It’s a study like no other.

Continue reading “Matt Bahr, Steelers Kicker, 1979-1980”

First, can you let readers know about your coaching career – how you got started and why you enjoy most about it so far?

I have been coaching now for six years and I love every minute of it. It is time-consuming but worth it. I began coaching right after my last year of playing which was 2009 and I haven’t looked back since.

Ever since high school I knew I wanted to coach.  I viewed all the sports as a chess game. I looked for weakness and strengths and it all came natural to me. I enjoyed dissecting a game of any sport. I played for as long as I could and in he process I did scouting and player evaluations. I wanted the coaching world to see I was serious. I have four Grey Cup Rings. Two as a player and two as a coach. I’m currently coaching for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as defensive Backs coach and looking for my fifth ring.

Continue reading “Barron Miles, Steelers Cornerback, 1995”

First, can you let readers know what you’ve been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL?

Well, when I retired I went back to school to get my teaching certificate. I probably will go into coaching. I started a couple of other businesses too – just trying to stay busy. I’m still in Texas – I went back to Baylor and, thirty years later, I’ll get my degree one week before my son does!

How hard was the post-NFL adjustment for you?

I think being in the league for nine years – playing as long as I played ….. it was hard to find a way to stay busy. My wife is still in Pittsburgh and my son will graduate from Duquesne. I drove a semi for eight years. It helped me to be able to see my kids – I could take the truck and leave any time. One went to school in Michigan too so it helped keep me going. It would have been hard to keep traveling to see them otherwise.

I also had some drug issues. I regrouped – got myself back together. I try to stay busy still. I don’t need to work but I want to. I think I’m qualified to coach. I’ll stay here in Texas – I have a cousin who is a head coach. I’d like to do something that got me here in the first place.

Continue reading “Greg Hawthorne, Steelers Running Back/Receiver, 1979-1983”

First, can you let readers know what you are doing with yourself since your time in the NFL?

Well,  I got to spend five years in the NFL fulfilling a childhood dream. I had good parents – it all started there, My dad was my high school coach and he told me I had a chance to go to college for free – that I should take advantage of that. Which I did.. I have s dual degree from Pitt and got a chance to play in the NFL. My dad said that at some point my NFL career will end – I needed a fallback plan. I took advantage of some internships though the NFL. I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I felt I could have the most impact working on leadership development and was introduced to the CEO of the company I work for now, Buddy Hobart at Solutions21. My thoughts on leadership were pretty much aligned with the business. .

Continue reading “Tyler Palko, Pitt/Steelers Quarterback, 2009”

First, can you let readers know what you are doing with yourself now?

I’m working out and staying healthy. I’m still a free agent. Right now I’m working with high school kids – I’ve been hosting a kids skills camp for about two weeks now. It’s for local area kids and semi-pro guys looing to live the football dream. The main focus is on the high school kids, working on seven-on-sevens, which is big now. I’m trying to help keep them active in the offseason. Giving  back to the community – and I can taking this experience with me when I’m done with football.

Continue reading “Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith, Steelers Safety, 2010-2014”

First, can you let readers know what you’ve doing with yourself since you’re time in the NFL?

I’ve been involved in training and coaching – working with younger men to help with their athletic development – across all sports, but of course a lot of football. I did some combine work but not as much lately. It’s mostly working with kids at the high school level and in youth programs.

I also did some coaching at the high school level as well.

What coaches and coaching influences affected you most as a coach and trainer?

I wouldn’t say just one. It’s a combination. You learn something from every coach – even my high school coach. In Pittsburgh, Dungy, Noll….and Jimmy Johnson in Dallas. And a lot from the assistant coaches.

One of the most influential coaches was my secondary coach at Baylor – Rick Johnson. He was one of the most intelligent coaches I ever had – I learned so much from him. I was ready to go at the collegiate level because of him. He showed me how to approach the game – how to prepare. That was my edge in the NFL – it’s what kept me around as long as I did in the NFL.  That’s one of the things missing in today’s coaches and programs. You have to get it across to players, or teach them to do it themselves. But getting prepared for the game was my edge.

Continue reading “Thomas Everett, Steelers Safety, 1987-1991”

I’ll start by asking a question – why is it that the Steelers are a better second-half team? They score more points and let up less. It happened again yesterday. It happened in Denver. It’s noticeable enough that the announcers in the Ravens game made continual mention of it.

There’s a tone that this team opens with at the start of many games. Play not to lose. Keep the cornerbacks off the receivers – don’t let them get beaten deep. Don’t come out attacking opposing defenses…